William haeksess



(No Model.)

W. HARKNESS.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER'. No. 323,578. Patented Aug. 4, 1.885.

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WILLIAM HABKNESS, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC FlRE-EXTlNGUlSHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 323,578, dated August 2l 1.88

Application filed July l, 1834. (No model.)

1'0 (ti-i whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ILLIAM HARKNESS, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Fire-Extingnishcrs,of which the following is a specification.

Fire-extinguishers have been made with a valve secured at the end of a water-pipe by a frame in which is a cross-bar attached by a fusible solder that melts when the temperature 01' the air rises to about 150 Fahrenheit and the valve drops. In this character of valve two difficulties exist. The first arises from the fact that there is a lateral pressure upon the soldered cross-bar, which tends to prevent a central and accurate bearing upon the valve, and the valve is liable to leak, and if it does there is difficulty in rendering the valve tight; and the second difficulty arises from the fact water alone is de pended upon to move the valve and throw the support and cross-bar out of the way.

My invention relates to the combination, with the valve, of a two-part axial support,by means of which the valve is compelled to take an even bearing upon its seat, and a spring that is under compression and acts to move the axial support entirely away from the valve so soon as the fusible solder that holds the bars forming the axial support in place has softened by the heat. By this device the risk of the valve leaking is lessened, and the certainty of the valve opening automatically is promoted.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 is an elevation,of my improved fire-extinguisher. Fig. 3 is a section, at the line a; at, Fig. 2. Fig. at is an elevation, partly in section, of the axial support in a slightly modified form. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the same at the line a as; and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan at the line 1 ;z of Fig. l, showing the manner of holding the lower end of the vertical bar when it is made in one with the upper axial bar.

The coupling (1V is to be screwed to the vertical branch I) of a supply water-pipe,and the lower end of this coupling a forms the seat for the valve (1. Around the coupling a is a screw-thread upon which is screwed the ring 6 of the frame f, and this framef passes into the notches at the edges of the valve (Z and steadies such valve. Upon the frame f there are lugs or projections f upon which the valve rests when it is open. Around the edges of the valve (1 there are inclined sawtooth projections t, and there are upon the surface of the valve outside its bearing for the valveseat the studs k, the object of these studs and teeth being to convert the margin of the valve into a distributor to separate the water into small streams as it issues from the pipe 0. and to cause it to act upon the lire to thejbest advantage. The corrugated deflecting central cone, Z, gives an outward direction to the water, and the holes or allow a portion of the water to pass down to anyfire that may be directly below the fire-extinguisher. The edges of the ring 6 project in the form of serrations or corrugations,which aidin scattering the water, and they also facilitate the grasping of the ring to turn the same and screw the valve up firmly to its seat.

Below the center of the valve there are the axial bars p q. The lower end of the bar (1 rests upon the frame f at the bottom part. The bars 1) q rest upon each other endwise, and the upper end of the bar 1) rests against th 2 center of the valve. These parts,being in line with each other,support the valve firmly and centrally, and very little power is required to support these parts laterally. In some instances I support these parts laterally by the crossbar 1-, having a hole in the center forthc reception of the ends of p and q, where they come together. The ends of this bar r are soldered to the frame f, with a solder that melts at alow te1nperatL1re-say 150 Fahrenheit-so that the bar ceases to be a support to the axial bars at the desired teinperaturemnd in order to throw the axial bars entirely away from below the valve when the solder melts I employ the spring tween the supports 1- t upon the framef, and this spring is under compression, so that its resistance throws off the bar and breaks the axial bars the instant the solder at '21. becomes suflicientlysoft. I remark that the ends of the bars p q are rounding, so that they will turn freely as the spring moves them.

In cases where it is desirable to secure the end or ends of the bar 2* by the fusible solder s, which is received be at any other place than. that shown in Fig. 2, the same can easily be effected, as it is not necessary to place such bar horizontal. In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 this bar is shown as vertical, in which case it only requires to be soldered at the lower end. The bar 9" is preferably made atits upperpart as atubular sleeve, into which is received the axial bar 1) and the rounded upper end of the axial bar q, and the fusible solder is applied at a between the lower part of the bar 1" and the side of the framef at the bottom thereof. In this construction, as well as in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, the pressure against the valve is received endwise upon and in line with the straight axial bars, and when the solder at it melts by the heat the spring 5 presses the axial bars away and the valve opens.

If the axial bar 19, the bar 1', and its tubular sleeve i were all in one piece, the endwise pressure upon 19 might injure the soldered joint at a. This may be prevented by passing the lower end of the bar 1 into a mortise behind the plate uthat is soldered at u to the frame f, as seen in Fig. 6. The position of this plate a is indicated in Fig. 4 by dotted lines.

It is to be understoodthat when the ring of the frame is screwed to the coupling-pipe the valve is thereby pressed against its seat, and it is supported against that pressure by the axial bars.

I am aware that a single bar or stem has been used to support the valve in a fire-extinguisher; also, that a support in two pieces has been used, one of which is diagonal to the axis of the valve. In the first-named form the central stem has to move endwise the same distance that the valve is opened; and in case of slight obstruction the valve only partially opens. WVith supports that are not in line with the valveaxis the valve is liable to leak, because the ram action of the water, produced by opening or closing the faucet, is not taken in a straight line upon its support, and the support is liable to bend or give way. WVith my improvement the spring throws the parts entirely off when the solder melts; hence the valve opens fully and suddenly; but when the valve is closed no leakage is likely to arise, because the supporting devices are in the axial line of the valve, and there is no lateral action from the waterpressure.

I am also aware that a stationary rim or deflector has been used to divide up the water after the valve falls within the rim; but the rim is inoperative unless the valve falls the entire distance. By myimprovement the dis tributer, being upon the valve itself, is always operative, regardless of the distance the valve may descend.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the water-pipe and valve-seat, of a valve, a frame with a ring screwed upon the coupling above the valveseat, two bars in line with each other and with the axis of the valve abutting against each other and against the valve and frame, respectively, a support secured by solder for the central. part ofthe two bars, and a spring to throw the bars out of line with each other when th e solder melts, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the water-supply pipe and valve-seat in an automatic fire-extinguisher, of a valve having a projecting waterdistributing rim around it, with perforations and saw-tooth projections with inclined surfaces at their inner sides, and the studs 70, and an axial support for the valve that is liberated by the action of the heat, and a frame and ring screwed upon the coupling above the valve-seat, between which and the serrations of the valve the water issues, substantially as specified.

3. The combination,in an automatic fire-extinguisher, of a supply-pipe, a valve at the end of the same, a frame connected with the supply-pipe, two bars, 1) q, in line with each other and having rounding ends and resting at the top against the valve and the bottom against the frame, and an arm secured to the frame by solder and having a hole through it for the reception of the ends of the bars 2) q, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the valve and frame in a fire-extinguisher, of two abutting bars in line with each other and resting at the lower end upon the frame and at the upper end against the under side of the valve, a support for the central part of the bars formed as a tube, having a bar projecting therefrom, which bar is secured by fusible solder to the frame, and a spring to remove the bars when the solder melts, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 26th day of June, A. D. 1884..

WVILLIAM HARKNESS. lVitnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, \VILLIAM G. Morr. 

